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Behind scenes, NBC execs concede Matt Lauer forum performance was “disaster” — NBC News knows the “Commander-in-Chief Forum” was not Matt Lauer's finest hour. — One executive, speaking anonymously, was blunt about it: “Disaster.” — The morning after Lauer's back-to-back interviews …
Discussion:
Little Green Footballs, Politicus USA, Daily Kos, Mediaite and Taylor Marsh, more at Mediagazer »
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Ok, I Admit It: I'm a Lauer Truther — The conventional wisdom has hardened to granite. Matt Lauer was the worst debate moderator in history. He was unprepared. He hammered Hillary and devoted too much time to emails. He let Trump lie like crazy without calling him to account at all.
Discussion:
The Atlantic and Balloon Juice

Welcome to the Club, Jonathan Chait: Part II — Last year, New York magazine's Jonathan Chait came to the conclusion that “political correctness” was a problem after all. Why? Because, as Kevin Williamson put it at the time, the tool was “now being used as a cudgel against white liberals …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner and Power Line


Matt Lauer totally blew it on Trump's blatant lying about Iraq and Libya — “I heard Hillary Clinton say I was not against the war in Iraq,” Donald Trump told Matt Lauer during Wednesday night's Commander-in-Chief Forum. “I was totally against the war in Iraq. You can look at Esquire magazine from 2004.
Discussion:
Hot Air, press.nbcnews.com, New York Times, Salon, Mediaite, U.S. Uncut, The Wrap, BuzzFeed, Business Insider, NBC News, Washington Free Beacon, Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Towleroad, New Century Times, Distractify, Fox News Insider, Talking Points Memo, Media Matters for America, Politico, BizPac Review, Liberty Unyielding and Lawyers, Guns & Money


Matt Lauer Fields Storm of Criticism Over Clinton-Trump Forum — It was a high-stakes political moment, far from the chummier confines of the “Today” show and, for Matt Lauer, NBC's stalwart of the morning, a chance to prove his broadcasting mettle on the presidential stage. — The consensus afterward was not kind.


Matt Lauer Loses the War in a Battle Between the Candidates
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, The Mahablog, Daily Kos, Mediaite, Mashable and Liberty Unyielding

NBC's Commander in Chief Forum Was an Authoritarian Farce
Discussion:
NBC News, PolitiFact, Washington Post, Guardian and fox8.com


What Really Happened at Donald Trump's Intelligence Briefing — What ‘body language’ is Trump talking about? — As U.S. officials cast doubt on Donald Trump's claim he read the “body language” of intelligence officials at a recent briefing, NBC News has learned exclusive details …
Discussion:
CNBC, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, Balloon Juice, Independent Journal Review, alan.com, The Atlantic, Hot Air and Gothamist
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Clinton Slams Trump But Blabbed About Briefing in 2008 — Clinton on the offensive following IAVA Forum 5:07 — Hillary Clinton slammed Donald Trump for talking about an intelligence briefing he received — but she's done it, too. — “I think what he said was totally inappropriate …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Mediaite and Washington Free Beacon

It's unlikely Trump briefers disparaged Clinton or Obama, ex-intelligence officials say
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, U.S. Uncut, Raw Story, New York Magazine and Politico


NYPD: Hillary Clinton Was Wearing “Invisible” Earpiece To Receive Stealth Coaching During Live NBC TV Town Hall — Hillary Clinton was sporting a mini earbud wired to receive stealth communications from her campaign handlers during Wednesday's Commander-in-Chief Forum carried live on NBC from New York City, True Pundit has learned.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Independent Journal Review, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and ThinkProgress
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Conservative media jumps on Hillary's ‘earpiece’ — Conservative media was dominated on Thursday by claims Hillary Clinton — was wearing an earpiece during a nationally televised presidential forum on veterans affairs the previous evening. — The story originally took off via a tweet …


Clinton campaign warns media to tread carefully — 's campaign is working the refs hard when it comes to reports about her health. — While Clinton responded to a fit of coughing this week with humor, saying she was “allergic” to GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump
Discussion:
John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Politico, Instapundit, naked capitalism, Infowars and RedState


Was Hillary Wearing an Earpiece During Last Night's Presidential Forum?


‘What Is Aleppo?’ Gary Johnson Asks, in an Interview Stumble — Gary Johnson, the former New Mexico governor and Libertarian Party presidential nominee, revealed a surprising lack of foreign policy knowledge on Thursday that could rock his insurgent candidacy when he could not answer …
Discussion:
Slate, Talking Points Memo, Washington Free Beacon, The Daily Caller, The Federalist, Washington Post, twitchy.com, FiveThirtyEight, BizPac Review, Mediaite, Hit & Run, Politico, Bloomberg, Red Alert Politics, PRI, Salon, The Concourse, New Urban Legends, Raw Story, Fox News Insider, The Atlantic, Western Journalism, The American Conservative, Mashable, New York Magazine and Independent Journal Review
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Gary Johnson asks: What is Aleppo?
Discussion:
USA Today, Business Insider, Hit & Run, Western Journalism, Washington Post, Politico, New York Post, Hot Air, NPR, Foreign Policy, Infowars, Booman Tribune, The Resurgent and Political Wire

Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson: ‘What is Aleppo?’
Discussion:
Washington Post, ABC News, The Hill, Bearing Drift, New York Times, Slate, The Daily Caller, Hit & Run, Mediaite, CNN, Talking Points Memo and RedState


Donald Trump: How I'd Run the Country (Better) — This is what it felt like to be Donald J. Trump in 2004, when The Apprentice was on the air, and he was bros with Regis, and the Iraq War was still at the top of America's collective consciousness. Funnily enough, what he said 12 years ago helps us understand his (il)logic today.
Discussion:
Toronto Star, Little Green Footballs, Vox, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite and Political Wire
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Inside the collapse of Trump's D.C. policy shop — The Trump campaign built a large policy shop in Washington that has now largely melted away because of neglect, mismanagement and promises of pay that were never honored. Many of the team's former members say the campaign leadership never took …
Discussion:
Politico, Talking Points Memo, The Resurgent, Raw Story, Mediaite and The New Civil Rights Movement


Mike Pence defends Donald Trump comments on Vladimir Putin: ‘inarguable’ — Washington (CNN)Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on Thursday defended his running mate's statement that Vladimir Putin is a stronger leader than President Barack Obama, calling it “inarguable.”
Discussion:
Washington Post and New York Magazine
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Pence agrees with Trump: Calls Putin stronger than Obama
Discussion:
ABC News


5,300 Wells Fargo employees fired for creating over 2 million phony accounts — Everyone hates paying bank fees. But imagine paying fees on a ghost account you didn't even sign up for. — That's exactly what happened to Wells Fargo customers nationwide.
Discussion:
The Atlantic, USA Today, U.S. Uncut and The Resurgent
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AP deletes Clinton Foundation tweet — The Associated Press announced on Thursday that it is deleting a two-week old tweet about the Clinton Foundation. — “The Associated Press today is deleting a 2-week-old tweet about Hillary Clinton's meetings as Cabinet secretary after concluding …

Hillary's Health Concerns Serious, Say Most Doctors Polled by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) — Concerns about Hillary Clinton's health are “serious—could be disqualifying for the position of President of the U.S.,” say nearly 71% of 250 physicians responding …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit and Liberty Unyielding


Megan Rapinoe: 'It's [expletive] unbelievable. Saddened by it' — Following the Seattle Reign's 2-1 defeat to the Washington Spirit on Wednesday, Megan Rapinoe responded to the Spirit's decision to play the national anthem while the teams were in the locker room.
Discussion:
Outsports, The Gateway Pundit, Associated Press, Slate, Mediaite, DCist, Independent Journal Review, Towleroad and Washington Free Beacon


Fear of a Female President — Except for her gender, Hillary Clinton is a highly conventional presidential candidate. She's been in public life for decades. Her rhetoric is carefully calibrated. She tailors her views to reflect the mainstream within her party.
Discussion:
New York Magazine, Vox and Hullabaloo


‘Blue lives matter’ law used in arrest of New Orleans man who shouted slurs at police: warrant — Raul Delatoba was arrested Monday, Sept. 5, 2016, and charged with a hate crime and other offenses after New Orleans police say he verbally attacked NOPD officers and a witness who saw him damage a window at the Royal Sonesta Hotel.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Raw Story and Fox News Insider


Op-Ed FCC chairman: Here are the new proposed rules for set-top boxes — Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler at the FCC in Washington. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) — There's never been a better time to watch television in America.
Discussion:
NPR, Morning Consult, Common Dreams, Consumerist and Engadget, more at Mediagazer »


‘Read the reports’: Hillary Clinton refuses to explain what she told the FBI about how a concussion impaired her memory — DailyMail.com asked Hillary Clinton on Thursday if she could clarify what she told the FBI about a concussion that hampered her memory
Discussion:
Infowars


Summer haze! Malia Obama is pictured ‘near a large bong at UPenn frat house’ wearing her ‘Smoking Kills’ T-shirt... weeks after she puffed on a suspicious cigarette at Lollapalooza — A picture circulating on social media appears to show Malia Obama near an item that resembles a large bong.
Discussion:
John Hawkins' Right Wing News


Hawaiian seafood caught by foreign crews confined on boats — HONOLULU (AP) — Pier 17 doesn't even show up on most Honolulu maps. Cars whiz past it on their way to Waikiki's famous white sand beaches. Yet few locals, let alone passing tourists, are aware that just behind a guarded gate …


Why ISIS Supports Donald Trump — Matt Olsen is the former head of the National Counterterrorism Center — ‘Hillary Clinton is the clear choice for national security’ — Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump took the same stage for the first time on Wednesday to address crucial questions …


Donald Trump's Campaign Guru: Bill Clinton Did 9/11 — Donald Trump's newest campaign boss has some strong feelings about the 9/11 attacks. Namely, that Bill Clinton let them happen because he hated the military and loved gays. — David Bossie, who became Trump's deputy campaign manager last week …
Discussion:
Raw Story and The New Civil Rights Movement